We are starting our major project for this year, a garden. A garden and a greenhouse, to be precise, but we’re not working on the greenhouse part yet because we don’t know how we want to build it, just where.
First thing we did was to tromp around in the snow a week ago and figure out how big an area we want the garden fence to encompass. We decided on 50 feet by 50 feet, plenty of room for fruit plants, and some dwarf fruit trees, plus vegetable beds. And flowers! I would love some flowers.
The snow melted! The ground is still frozen, but the snow melted and so today Dan wanted me to help him with manual labor. I tried “But, I’m a girl!” and it didn’t work. He didn’t buy that for a second. Oh well, worth a try.
We carried some pliers down the hill to the existing fences and took the wire fencing loose from fence posts.
Once the wire was loose along the fence line between the aspen grove to the east and the existing funky old garden to the west, it was time to get the Ranger out of the garage. We removed the snow plow from the front of the Ranger and Dan remarked that he hoped we wouldn’t need to plow snow any more this year. I told him if it snows again we just won’t go anywhere until it melted.
The trees on the left side of the picture will probably need to be cut down, but we haven't decided that yet. The aspens and old fruit trees definitely need to go.
Dan wrapped the winch hook around the first corner post. I had the winch control, which had two directions, in and out. I could figure that one out!
Moment later, the first pole was out of the ground, and laying to the right side. Success! We thought, this was going to be quick and easy.
The post was a lot taller than I thought it would be. We're thinking about installing an 8' fence, which means the posts will need to be 10' long, and set in concrete.
Using a tow rope, we wove it through the wire fencing to give us more 'breaking points' on the wire, and then Dan simply drove forward, removing most of the fencing which we had already loosened from the fence posts.
We folded the wire up on the ground next to the collection of fence posts. Some of the posts didn’t come out – either because the ground was frozen or because some plants had grown up around them, anchoring them firmly into place. When the contractor is here with the backhoe, digging the fence line for the underground gopher fence, he can remove those remaining fence posts easily.
The fencing is being drug through the grass. The house is above the garden space and Oro was watching us from his window, a birds' eye view if there ever was one.
Oh look, there was a very large beaver chewing up the aspen tree. No wait, that was Dan with a swede saw.
Then it was time to try an experiment and answer a question. Could the Ranger pull out the stump on the trees we intend to cut down?
Dan hooked the winch to the aspen trunk and pulled. The Ranger dug a couple of nice holes spinning it's wheels as the winch pulled the vehicle closer to the tree stump.
Oh well, something else for the contractor to do with his much larger piece of equipment.
The tow rope attached to the downed tree made short work of dragging it across the grass towards the aspen grove.
Dan, sizing up the next tree and deciding which way it wanted to fall. Might as well cut it so that it falls the way it already wants to fall. Getting into arguments with trees is always a losing proposition.
Saw, saw, saw, saw....
Oh no, it fell right on the garden fence! An excellent example of exactly why we want trees close enough to the garden to be cut down.
It was a good thing we wanted to remove the rotten garden fence boards anyway. Two trees down, several more to go. I actually cut down the next two small aspen trees, and then Dan cut down the pear tree next to them. This poor tree gets mauled by the bears every year since we moved here, and at this point there are very few branches left that would bear fruit. And if they did bear fruit, the bear would get them and not us.
I cut down the apple tree and Dan hauled it away. Team work.
After cleaning up some remaining branches and boards, that was enough and we called it a day as far as the garden project went.
Mostly we have some brush to remove, but the first batch of trees small enough for us to handle have been removed, and the garden space is opening up.
Next on our agenda will be to remove the chicken wire fencing and old rotten boards surrounding the existing smaller garden space.
Shortly after we came inside, it started to precipitate outside, a mix of rain and snow. We don’t care, it can do that if it wants to – spring is here, and our garden has been started. There isn’t much green showing up here on the mountain, just small blades of grass only visible if you push the tall dead grass away. It will transform quickly.
I’m telling you that guy cutting down the tree looks just like Grizzly Adams! Now, where oh where is his bear? Hahaha.